Pharmacology Basics Flashcards

The 'therapeutic index' of a drug refers to:

Answer: The ratio between the toxic dose and the effective dose

The therapeutic index (TI) is the ratio of the toxic dose to the effective dose. A narrow TI means the toxic dose is close to the effective dose, requiring careful monitoring.

Which schedule of controlled substances has the highest potential for abuse and NO accepted medical use in the US?

Answer: Schedule I

Schedule I substances (e.g., heroin, LSD) have no accepted medical use and the highest abuse potential, making them illegal for any clinical prescribing.

An antagonist drug works by:

Answer: Blocking a receptor and preventing a response

An antagonist binds to a receptor without activating it, blocking agonists from binding and producing a response.

Enteral routes of drug administration include:

Answer: Oral, sublingual, and rectal

Enteral routes involve the gastrointestinal tract: oral (swallowed), sublingual (under tongue), and rectal (via rectum).

Penicillin is an example of which drug category?

Answer: Antibiotic (beta-lactam)

Penicillin is a beta-lactam antibiotic that inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis, used primarily against gram-positive bacteria.

The 'first-pass effect' affects drugs taken by which route?

Answer: Oral

Orally administered drugs absorbed from the GI tract pass through the liver via portal circulation before reaching systemic circulation, where hepatic metabolism can significantly reduce bioavailability.